Ribonomics, Inc. Announces U.S. Patent Issuance for Pathways Discovery Technologies

Broad Claims Strengthen Leadership Position in Post-Transcriptional Gene Regulation

October 22, 2003

Durham, NC-October 22, 2003-Ribonomics, Inc. announced today the issuance of U.S. Patent No. 6,635,422 titled "Methods for isolating and characterizing endogenous mRNA-Protein (mRNP) Complexes" This patent provides additional intellectual property protection for the Company's Ribonomics Analysis System (RAS™).

The Ribonomics Analysis System (RAS™) for the first time allows the isolation and characterization of functionally related genes in vitro and in vivo . The Company's technology exploits the cell's own organizational scheme for protein expression to reveal novel functional relationships between genes, elucidate new regulatory links among pathways, and assign cellular function to uncharacterized genes.

Jack Keene, Ribonomics' founder and James B. Duke Professor of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology at Duke University Medical Center, explained, "Issuance of this patent is a significant step in Ribonomics' strategy to provide broad protection for the Company's intellectual property. We have developed this unique technology for discovering gene transcripts that are captured and co-regulated by RNA binding proteins." Keene further stated, "This is a very fundamental patent whose underlying technology is expected to change the way genetic information is interpreted. In fact, it simplifies genomics data and provides novel functional information about gene products. Pharmaceutical companies have generated enormous amounts of genomic information in recent years, but much of it is so complex that it is difficult to interpret. This patented technology provides an ability to classify genomic data into functional groups that have relevance to all diseases."

The technology has broad application throughout drug discovery and development, including target discovery, lead optimization and drug discovery. "Customers want to use this technology for everything from preventing 'chemical drift' to 'de-orphanization' of targets." stated Christopher B. Kelly, President of the Company. "Our challenge is to focus only on those areas where we can effectively deliver results today." Ribonomics is in negotiations with potential biotechnology and pharmaceutical partners surrounding work in several areas.

Ribonomics, Inc. (www.ribonomics.com) is applying proprietary Systems Biology technologies to the drug discovery process. The Company maps genetic networks and cellular pathways empirically, by discovering and characterizing functional clusters of genes. By directly connecting genes to disease, the Company and its partners are addressing critical challenges in drug discovery, including identifying novel drug targets and biomarkers, and characterizing activities of candidate and established drugs to understand the basis for their efficacy and toxicity.

Contact:

Christopher B. Kelly, President
Ribonomics, Inc.
3908 Patriot Drive
Durham, NC 27703
(919) 544-1023 x2117
chris.kelly@ribonomics.com